SHORT-STAFFED Belfast coastguards have had to beg for cover from their closure-threatened Scots counterparts.

The Northern Irish station is meant to take on Clyde Coastguard's work if the base at Greenock closes under Tory cost-cutting plans.

But at least twice in the past two weeks, the Belfast emergency control room has been so understaffed it's had to ask Greenock to cover.

A coastguard insider said: "The very base which is meant to be taking over Greenock's work is so short-staffed it's asking them for help. According to risk assessments, there should be at least three people in the Belfast operations room during a shift.

"But on several occasions in recent weeks - most recently August 31 - they have been down to two because of people being off sick.

"Belfast's staffing levels will not increase after the closures, yet they are expected to take on Greenock's work."

Campaigners are fighting to save Clyde Coastguard, which is Scotland's busiest coastguard station and covers an area of coast bigger than France's.

The patch stretches from Fort William to the Mull of Galloway, taking in the River Clyde as far as Glasgow city centre, then halfway across the Atlantic towards Canada.

The Clyde station is expected to close with the loss of 31 jobs by the end of 2012. Seven others will close, including the Forth station on Scotland's east coast. Just eight stations will remain across Britain.

The insider added: "The majority of stations in Scotland are running above overtime budgets to maintain manning levels. The coastguard have been under-resourced for years, yet we are facing these savage cuts which risk endangering lives."